Coaches' Tips: Habits of Successful Goaltenders

While goaltending styles may ebb and flow like the daily tides,
certain concepts must always be followed in order to be successful
at stopping the puck. The following concepts are applicable whether
a goalie butterflies, stands up, or plays a combination of the two
styles. When these concepts are performed consistently in games and
practices, the goalie will have a high success ratio.

1. Have a Tough On-Ice Presence

This doesn't mean that you need to wield your stick like a Samurai
warrior, but, simply have a confident aura about you. Do you move
around the crease like you expect to stop the puck or do you look
like you hope you can stop it? Your body language says a lot about
you. Think about a public speaker. Does she look confident speaking
about her subject, using plenty of eye contact, voice inflections,
and gestures to convey excitement? Does she speak in a dull,
monotone voice without eye contact so you fall asleep? Your body
language in the crease works the same way. It will dictate the
amount of respect you will have from both the opposition and your
own teammates. It's like the anti-perspirant commercial says, "Never
let 'em see you sweat." No matter how good or bad your performance
is, you should exude a confidence bordering on cockiness. Stand
tall, don't shrug your shoulders after a goal and never criticize
your teammates.

2. Play Inside-Out

This continues the concept of on-ice presence. Many goalies move out
from the crease before the puck moves past the center red line and
retreat before the puck passes the blue line. When the opposing
puckcarrier looks up and sees the goalie retreating, there is no
pressure to make a hasty decision with the puck. If the shooter
doesn't feel the pressure from the goalies, the pressure is on the
goalie's shoulders to make a big save.

3. Challenge the Shooter

The correct way to challenge the shooter is inside-out, where the
goalie steps from the top of the crease arc to a point two to three
feet outside the crease. Once there, the goalie sets in the stance
and holds her ground to force the shooter into a shooting or deking
decision. The goalie doesn't need to move backwards for momentum
unless the puckcarrier skates below the hash marks or the bottom of
the face-off circle. Once the puckcarrier moves in close, the goalie
needs patience to minimize the gap between the puck and the goalie's
body. A close gap eliminates most of the shooter's peripheral vision
and makes it difficult for the shooter to find holes to score.

4. Square off to all Rebounds

When goalies make off-balance saves on a regular basis, it is
difficult to make the rebound save. When the head and back shoulder
turn in the direction of the save, the goalie gains a foot of reach
and also keeps the body's momentum flowing in the area of the
rebound. The simple matter of keeping the shoulders square to the
puck keeps the goalie in the same lane as the puck being shot. As
long as the goalie is in the same lane, there is always a realistic
chance to make the save. There is economy of movement in a balanced
save because the goalie will not have to reach that far to make
contact with the puck.

5. Eliminate Unnecessary Rebounds

Sometimes the goalie is her own worst enemy. I can't tell you how
many times I've cringed when goalies give away goals to the
opposition without even realizing they have done so. As in tennis,
goalies can be guilty of unforced errors. If you don't freeze the
puck when you had the opportunity, you have no one but yourself to
blame if the play stayed alive and resulted in a goal. When you
could have deflected a puck safely to the corner, but put it in the
slot, who is to blame? When you could have stopped the puck behind
the net for your defenseman, but blew it off and the opponents stole
the puck and scored, who again is to blame? If you are lazy, the
mistakes can be found in your high goals against average and low
save percentage. Christmas comes once a year and that day is enough
for charitable gifts.

6. Make an Effort

Goalies live a life of controlled desperation. If you play too
complacently, opposing shooters take advantage of your perceived
laziness. Even when you get caught totally out of position, dive,
scream, or do a handstand, but, don't let them take an uncontested
shot on net. Shooters have been known to miss open nets, so try. The
best goalies never give up on a play without a fight. Attitude is
everything and if you battle for your saves, whether in practice or
games, you will be successful.

Summary

These six concepts are applicable to all styles of goaltending.
These concepts are more about attitude and work habits than they are
about specific goaltending techniques. Evaluate your game to see if
you are taking the necessary steps to reach your fullest potential.